House of Torlonia

The princes Torlonia are an Italian noble family from Rome, who acquired a huge fortune in the 18th and 19th centuries through administering the finances of the Vatican. In the late 1800's, Italian immigrants poured into America. Few were skilled professionals with money. 95% were poor peasants who were despised immediately just as the had been in Italy. A common poem described them:

"The head of everything is God, the Lord of heaven
After Him comes Prince Torlonia, lord of the earth
Then comes Prince Torlonia's armed guards
Then comes Prince Torlonia's armed guards dogs
Then comes nothing at all. Then comes nothing at all.
Then comes nothing at all.
Then come the peasants. And that's all.

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The first influential member of the Torlonia family was Marino Torlonia (Tourlonias; 1725 – March 21, 1785), who rose from humble origins in the Auvergne region of France to become a very rich businessman and banker in Rome.

Marino was born with the French name of Marin Torlonias, the son of Antoine Torlonias, a merchant and laborer.[1] Marin's great-uncle was the parish priest of Augerolles, who procured for him a position as aide to an influential abbot. Marin eventually settled in Rome, where he became a cloth merchant and money lender near the Piazza Trinità dei Monti. This became the foundation of the family bank established by his son, Giovanni Torlonia.

The Torlonia family is one of the few Italian aristocratic families to have survived the reconstruction of the Papal Court in 1969 by the motu proprioPontificalis Domus. Today the only hereditary honours still in use at the Vatican are that of hereditary Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne. This honour is today held by Alessandro Torlonia and Marcantonio Colonna, Prince and Duke of Paliano. The Torlonia family was appointed in 1958 (its title dates from 1854 also), in succession to the Prince Orsini, whose family had held the principality from 1735.